Petrol or diesel...

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The old Mercruiser 7.4s are about the same weight as the V8s I am looking at so should be okay...

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V8 diesels..........these wouldn't be the Samurai's would they??

Overseas prices, this did cross my mind when you originally posted. Personally I'd go for the petrol if overseas. It'll take too long to recoup the costs of the diesels.....plus I'm a sucker for a V8 grumble....

Now watch the anti's scream that its unsafe, your sitting on a bomb etc etc etc.....
 
International diesels......Navistar V8.......Mercruiser 270hp.....old dogs. Parts expensive and unreliable and that was with a proper marine conversion.
Are these marinised? If so who by? Can you get parts. We struggle getting the parts for these engines.
Worth talking to Mike Bellamy @ Lancing Marine he marinised some 300hp versions at put them in his Sunseeker Apache 45.
He also the man who could do you some good deals or know of some packages going cheap.
Just bought a pair of Mercruiser 250hp d-tronics from him with bravo3 drives for £8k the lot instruments etc. Been sat on pallet in Cananda for a year. Fired up first time on bench and as unregistered 2 yrs warranty as well.
 
OK, if you've got to have 300hp diesels, then I guess there's not a huge choice. But you have'nt answered my other question. Whats the boat likely to be worth with these engines?
 
A Scarab with diesels...... sacrilege!! It just won't sound right and it certainly won't go as fast as it should with heavy diesel lumps on board. Besides, you need twin Merc 502s for the real thing!! Also take heed of BarryH re how low the stern sits in the water even with 454s. BTW, the marine police use Scarabs here, but they have humungous outboards.
 
There is another Scarab for sale in the UK with diesels:

http://www.boats-for-sale.com/fullspec.a...;videoFilename=

This one is a 1977 vintage so at least 6 years older than the 1983 I am looking at. It is up for £35k with 2x240hp Mercruisers.

A silly offer might get it for significantly under £30k - I don't know but I am measuring myself against this (unsold) boat.

Hence £10k for the hull + max £20k for FITTED engines is about my limit.

As I say, I am not in this for re-sale but I am not going to overspend....

This one has 2x240hp fitted...(and a not unreasonable top speed - though I am not sure if it's true!!!!)...if I get a good deal on engines <300hp then I would go for them but I can't seem to find anything at the moment!!!
 
Sacrilege I know...but you also know the price of gas!!!!

I am importing the boat from the US and the guys there are amazed at the cost of petrol here...but the recent increases over there are the catalyst for these boats becoming more available...

Yes, overall weight is a worry...though the 454 weight isn't hugely different to the diesel - appararently. This is also why I need to get something like 300hp diesel installed to approach the 'historical' top end of the Scarab.
 
The boat in your latest like demonstrates what I've been trying to explain. Look at the boot top or waterline on that boat then compare it with the waterline of the petrol boat in the previous link. There is a marked difference. It will also affect the handling and getting up on the plane etc. Tabs are a must I would have thought.
Its doesn't take a lot of weight to alter the way a boat handles. With diesels its going to be very bow up all the way I would say.
 
yes, I have seen the waterline on both these boats...and accept there will be a difference and this is one of the reasons for asking the question - I am not an expert and the only people I can ask are trying to sell me an engine!!!!

I have been "told" that the weight difference is negligible...but am having trouble proving it!!

These two are different boats and the water line APPEARS different:

PETROL::::::::::

78869289_6.jpg



DIESEL:::::::::::

5131341_3.jpg




But they are different boats...I cannot yet find a 1977 Scarab picture with petrols to tell the difference...
 
hmm, the second boat seems to have what looks like Bravo 3's. Not a light drive by any measure. Don't know what the TRS weight but with the need for g/boxes I'd say brobably a bit more than the Bravo's.
The weight is a bit of a concern. I've not yet come across a diesel that is lighter for the same power output as a petrol.
Dieseld by their very nature are heavier. Compare the crank from a V8 petrol to a V8 diesel. The is a big difference.

I've been the same route. I even got as far as marinising a diesel, less said about that the better! The wound is still fresh. In the end I went with a total rebuild of the existing petrol.

I've been looking to do a similar project to yourself. I trawled the net and came up with a 30 foot Tremlett Flybridge for 7K. The following email is why its going so cheap, maybe a bit of a warning, re the weight.

Hi



Here is a bit about TO Obsession.



History of her. She has not been in the water for many years as she was being totally rebuilt.

The previous owner who had all the work done put in a pr of Sabres onto Sternpowers (approx 2 tonnes all in!). Result last year when he went in for the first time she was way too low at the stern!

Water came up to bathing platform about 1ft above water line! So she had the grunt but could not get up onto the plane!

The owner then took her out of the water and left her ashore plus he bought himself a Princess 55!

He said he had sunk £52k into her, I have many receipts. The time gauges say she was only run for 10.6 hours!

I have removed the engines and all running gear with the intention of installing a pair of lot lighter engines. Tremlett’s only had a pair of 130's and that allowed her to do 27-30knots.

I have got her home, (Won't get up my drive so I have had to store her at my parents!

Due to a change in my work circumstances and commitments I feel that I should move her on to someone that has time to finish her.



I am surprised at the number of enquiries I have had, also I have found a pair of engines/ sterndrives that are being totally overhauled at the present time. These are in the region of 14k for the pair. Obviously the transom needs to be altered as it is too think by 6 inches! It should only be 2 to 2.5 inches thick! This would also loose a lot of weight from the stern!



Fire any questions you like to me and I will try to answer them for you.



Yours



Jon
 
Not sure if there are any left but if you can find some volvo kad300's you should be able to get a good deal cos I don't think they can be sold as new anymore due to emmisions!!

Or a bit less power and you get the drives included Coastal Rides
 
I don't know but my daughter seems to cope ok, well standing on the foot rest I made her.....got to admit it is a lovely boat tho
 
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